


Riddle time!

by transnygma



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fuck Napkins I guess, M/M, Nygmobblepot, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 10:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18658234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transnygma/pseuds/transnygma
Summary: Quick story from a rewatch of season 4 episode 17, where The Riddle Factory finally happens without all of this heterosexuality





	Riddle time!

“What time is it?”

The crowd responding in unison to Edward’s question seemed like he never had such a moment. His eyes were full of sparkles, like a kid realising his life-long dream. He was a kid realising his life-long dream. It was riddle time and the riddle man was going to savour each second of it, head already full of new tricks to put on the wheel of misfortune. And something caught his eye in the middle of his first introduction riddle, made to make the candidate feel as if they were smart enough for the game before crushing them down. His dramatic gesture made him step in the front of the scene, the green light emerging from the question mark in his back covering him from head to feet, and this is when he saw the person, in the front row, wearing his best suit to contrast with the poverty of this place, some parts of his hair dyed purple the same morning by the hands of an impatient Edward.

“Riddle number two!” The green man turned his back on Oswald, clearly wanting to show it all, they did not spend entire days planning this to see it be some kind of meh, it had to be spectacular like the time he bombed that train station. The Riddler returned next to the candidate, explaining the rules in a detached way. “The second part gets a little tougher. If you manage, or anybody in the room..” he accompanied his sentence by a gesture to the audience, including it in the game “manages to ask a riddle to which I could not answer, you can walk away with the prize. If not, you will have to spin the wheel yourself to find how you will walk out of this stage.” The man seemed clearly confused about a part of the rules, but before he could ask anything, Edward pulled the wheel out of the darkness, making them see what they were expecting. “Oh and I forgot to ask, any riddle asked by the public will count as his. Do not disappoint me.” And on these words, he pushed the green hourglass.

The candidate and the public fell back into silence for the next two, three minutes maybe, and the sand kept falling down until there was only time left for no more than ten seconds, this is the moment somebody chose to make his way next to Edward, somebody none other than Oswald Cobblepot himself. The smile of the taller man grew bigger when he saw him playing his game. “I have a riddle for you, _Riddler_.” The slight shiver of the green man’s hand made The Penguin sure that he succeeded in his effect.

Edward turned to the candidate, who was probably busy trying to find a riddle other than ‘ _what’s green and then red when a button is pressed?_ ’ no offence to this incredible riddle, and asked him in a sweet voice, the same a cobra probably would have before swallowing his victim. “Is this right for you? Can Cobblepot take his shot?” The Riddler could clearly see the dread on the man’s face, but he had to, time was lacking, he finally accepted, his grip tight on the desk in front of him, putting his entire trust into The Penguin to whom he whispered a small ‘please’. But Edward did not care, he faced the public for the dramatic effect and then turned his face to his friend’s. “Oswald, The Riddler is listening.” 

It was nothing else but flirt for Oswald, who stepped the closest he could to Edward in order to destabilise him, his eyes never leaving the other’s before pronouncing his words. Oh he did not care about the candidate, all he wanted was for the second man to say it aloud. “I cannot be bought, but I can be stolen with one glance...” the green man visibly gasped, reusing his own riddles? What an attack to his own factory, but there was something in Oswald that made him stay quiet. He was declaring himself to Edward, in front of an audience who would see it as none other than a simple foolish riddle. “Worthless to one, but priceless to two. What am I?” Oswald smirked after his riddle, clearly seeing the effect it had done to his partner, his cheeks were covered with a slight red that he would be the only one to see, and if it were not for the audience, he would’ve kissed him this second.

Edward let a few second pass, trying to make it look like a dramatic effect to the second man when they both knew it was nothing else than Ed’s surprise. The Riddler gave his eyes to the audience, trying to look as if he did not know, before saying the answer in a semi-whisper that everybody in the room would hear. “ **Love**.” The candidate yelled in the back while the public was nothing but applauses, clearly charmed by The Riddler’s new play, next to the one he used to be impersonating. Oswald’s hand bruised against his as The Penguin left to the backstage, clearly expecting to see Edward after the end of his first game.

There was screams in the factory, before more applauses of the audience, Edward bowed down in front of them like every showman would do. “See you tomorrow same time for another game with your favorite host, The Riddler.” The man left the stage, joining The Penguin in the back, who had already found his way to the less-worst couch of the ones that were piled there. “ _Riddler_? A riddle about love? Is there anything you are trying to tell me Oswald?” 

He knew what he wanted to say, without a doubt, all he wanted was a little more of this pleasant flirt with the man he had just found back. But before Oswald could open his mouth to answer, Doctor Thompkins stormed into the room, the mad look of somebody who had obviously just saw the mess of The Riddle Factory. “Which one of you two just sent to my office a man with no fingernails?” Not to be a snitch but Oswald immediately pointed at Edward, he had nothing to do in the choice of the tortures and even strongly advised Ed to let go of these before getting in troubles with Lee. “I accepted that you give a little show in here, but never gave my approval for playful torture.” 

And this is why both Edward and Oswald walked back to their manor, taking the green question mark light after the taller man insisted and was ready to fall on his knees to keep it. The second they arrived, they looked in the other’s eyes and laughed like they never did. Maybe the Riddle Factory was now closed until further notice, but this night had been thrilling for both of them, finally some mischief that would not imply both of them to end in jail or even worst, in Arkham. 

“I believe you did not answer my question?” They put down the glowing question mark on the floor, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to turn it off because of the batteries they put in, maybe it would be good by tomorrow, maybe after, but for now, it was a good source of light to set the ambiance between them. Edward took a step closer to Oswald, his hand reaching for the other man’s cheek, leaving a soft caress on it. 

“Have I? How rude.” At every short breath Oswald was taking, the road had been long and the lamp heavy, Edward’s face came closer to his, but he was waiting. He wanted his answer no matter how tempting it was to just kiss him there. Oswald dropped his cane, entirely resting on Edward. “ _I love you, you and your stupid stage name_.”


End file.
